A TriBlood Tale
by Jakeroo
Summary: Percy Jackson is a pretty unusual demigod. But Andrew Goldman's here to rival that, and when he, Percy, and Annabeth get a quest, things at camp have never been so unusual.


When dragons save you from man-eating dogs because of an ancient half-brother, you know you're a half-blood.

I had been riding in the backseat of my stepfather Paul's Prius with my friend—well, girlfriend—Annabeth to my right and Nico di Angelo to my left. My mom was sitting shotgun, and Paul was slowly driving us north, toward a school, where my friend Grover had sent a distress signal to Chiron, the centaur, who happens to be my uncle. As a result, we were sent up to retrieve him and figure out why the signal was sent in the first place.

This day eerily reminded me of a couple years earlier, when Grover had also sent out a distress signal and we had to go. It was in that trip that we found Nico and his sister—that trip also led to Annabeth's capture, the kidnapping of a goddess, and the releasing of the most powerful Titan to ever live.

I glanced up at Annabeth and could tell she was thinking the same thing. "Think positive," she said.

"Right," I said, "think positive."

Nico grinned at me. "Don't worry, Percy. Two kids of the Big Three, and the cleverest half-blood to live? It'll be fine."

"Famous last words," I muttered.

Just then, the car rounded a bend and William Taft Junior High popped into existence. Why they would name a school after some random president, I don't know—and don't get so impressed I know he was president. I only remember because he was so fat. He got stuck in the White House _bathtub_. And write his last name backward and take out the first letter, what to you get?

This school was nowhere near as scary as where we had retrieved Nico, but it still sent a chill down my spine. My mom looked back at us worriedly. "We're here."

"Yeah," I said.

Nico looked at the school. "Let's do this."

He opened the door and slid out. I followed him, but my mom called my name. As I turned back, I saw the concern in her eyes. "Protect each other, will you?"

I guess Annabeth and I weren't the only one reminded of Nico and his sister's retrieval. "We will."

Annabeth got out and the car drove away, heading down the lane toward home: New York City.

I looked at Annabeth, then Nico. I took a breath. "Let's kick some monster butt."

William Taft Junior High looked just like any other junior high school. The front doors weren't locked, which was odd, but through those everything seemed normal. There was a main office, and then the main hall filled with lockers and various halls branching off.

Being spring break, I didn't expect anyone to be there, but there were still some teachers, filling out forms and chatting. As we entered, one walked p to us. "Excuse me?"

"Hello?" I tried.

"Are you a student here?" the chocolate-haired teacher asked.

"Yeah," Annabeth lied. "We are."

He peered at us. "Really? What House?"

I glanced at Annabeth. Again, just like with Nico's pickup. Thalia would be useful here. I still didn't know the finger-snap Mist trick.

Just then, the doors behind us burst open and Grover ran in. "Mr. Thomas! These are fellow students!"

Mr. Thomas' eyebrows furrowed. "I'll take your word, Grover."

As he walked away, I turned to Grover and said, "Don't tell me he's a monster."

Grover shook his head. "No, he's mortal. He was just suspicious because it's break, and he didn't recognize you."

"So why the distress signal?" Nico asked.

Grover took a breath. "I found a demigod."

"Nothing special," Annabeth said, "why didn't you just bring them to camp?"

"His smell," Grover said, his eyes slightly fearful. "It's… it's huge."

"Like mine?" I asked. Being the son of Poseidon, I have a pretty powerful smell. Having the curse of Achilles doesn't help mask it, either.

"Bigger than that."

"_Bigger_?" Annabeth repeated disbelievingly. "The only thing bigger than that is a god."

"He isn't a god." Grover shook his head. "I know he's partially mortal. But… I don't know how. All I know is how powerful his smell is. He volunteered to work for the school over the break. I think he's an orphan."

There was a silence as we digested this information. Then Annabeth nodded and said, "Okay. Simple. We find him, bring him to Camp Half-Blood, and train him. Simple."

A kid strolled by Grover out the doors as the satyr replied, "Okay. I guess—" He froze. Then he turned to look at the student who had just left. "That's him! Andrew Goldman!"

We dashed out the doors.

Andrew Goldman was heading down the road, glancing about nervously. Annabeth, Nico, Grover and I followed at a safe distance.

To our surprise, as the bend in the road, he kept walking straight, off the sidewalk and toward a small forest. On the other side, Annabeth told us, was a highway that led to the city. "So where's he headed?" she finished in a whisper. "He can't walk down the highway."

We entered the woods, still following. I felt creeped out. This was like some weird action movie. Tristan McLean might jump out of a tree any moment.

Instead, I tripped on a tree root. As I stood back up and picked up my deadly pen, I heard a shout. Then a scream.

We exchanged looks. Then we charged.

Andrew Goldman was backed up against a tree. He held a tree branch in his hands, his eyes fearfully roving the area. They landed on us, and his mouth fell open. "Grover?"

"Andrew," Grover said nervously. "Why are you holding the branch?"

"Watch out!" he yelled.

I spun, flicking off the cap of Riptide and bringing it up in a fluid movement. A blur of brown flew over my head, at Andrew. He dove out of the way.

The dog crashed into the tree and fell to the ground. Snarling, it got back up and shook its head angrily. It was an Alaskan Husky, I could see that. A very _mad_ Alaskan Husky.

"Why does my mythological life always involve dogs?" I complained. Telekhines, hellhounds, Cerberus, Orthus. Always dogs.

Grover barked at the dog. Probably asking how its day went. The dog growled and launched itself at me.

I raised my sword, slicing the dog in the side as it passed. It howled and landed behind me, slamming its paws into the ground to make it stop. It whimpered, but didn't seem that hurt by the cut. Growling, it turned to me again.

Annabeth gasped. "Percy, that's Laelaps! He's blessed to always to catch his prey!"

"In this case," Nico said, pulling out his sword, "Us."

"So I'm fighting a creature that I can't possibly beat," I muttered. "What else is new?"

Laelaps charged at me, snapping his teeth at my leg. I jumped back and sliced with Riptide, but he seemed to understand his mistake and dodged it. With a howl, it spun and leapt at Andrew Goldman, who was frozen in shock against the tree.

Andrew seemed to come to his senses at the last moment and raised his branch, jabbing it at the dog. It hit Laelaps' maw—and the dog was knocked backward a hundred feet, slamming into yet another tree and landing on its side.

Andrew's eyes were wide. "Did I do that?" he croaked.

"Yeah," I said. "You did."

"Who _are_ you?"

I heard the dog slowly start to stand again and groaned. "Who defeated it?"

Annabeth replied instantly. "No one did. They sent it after the Teumessian Fox, a fox destined never to be caught. It was a paradox—the hound that always catches its prey fighting the fox that is never caught. It was too confusing, so Zeus turned them both to stone."

Laelaps narrowed his eyes at me. "Well," I said, "Zeus could help right about now."

No response. Laelaps lunged.

I dodged. "Come on!" I groaned, launching myself after him. I stabbed down with Riptide, but Laelaps stepped out of the way and snapped at my foot. I kicked him in the chest, sending him flying backward. "Let's go!" I shouted as he crashed some thirty feet away.

We ran back toward Taft Junior High with Andrew in tow. The howls of the dog picked up as we reached the main road. "What now?" I asked.

The howl of Laelaps was suddenly drowned out by a roar. Something hurtled from the clouds and landed behind us.

I turned.

It was a huge dragon, its entire body covered in sea-green scales. It folded its wings over its body and regarded us coolly. I took a step back; this thing was at least twenty feet. "Annabeth?"

Annabeth's eyebrows furrowed. "It could be Ismenian Dragon, a dragon that guarded a sacred spring of Ares. Or Python, who guarded the Oracle. Or—it could be Cychreides."

When she said the final name, the dragon looked at her, but not in anger. Almost in recognition. Then it let out a roar and lowered its head so it was a foot or so from mine. "Is it dangerous?" I asked Annabeth, not taking my eyes from the thing.

"It was raised by a demigod, then went on a rampage and was captured by Eurylochus, who then gave it to Demeter," Annabeth reported. Then something seemed to hit her. "Percy—it was raised by Cychreus, the son of Poseidon! Cychreides might think you smell like him! That's why he's so interested in you."

Indeed, the dragon was sniffing curiously at me. It didn't seem bothered by Riptide, and when I stepped closer, it made another roar, but this one was odd. I realized it was like a purr.

I sheathed Riptide and petted Cychreides cautiously on the head. He lowered his neck lower, and I turned to Annabeth. "I think he wants us to ride him."

"Ride him?" Annabeth looked scared for a moment. "You did hear the _went-on-a-rampage_ part?"

"Demeter sent him to us," I protested. "He's here to help us."

Just then, Laelaps charged out of the forest running toward us, and Annabeth's fear went away. "Let's ride."

She and Grover climbed on board, and then Nico. I turned to Andrew, who I expected to protest, but he climbed right on. Then I jumped on in front and tapped Cychreides three times on the head. Just as Laelaps was less than three feet away, the dragon pushed off the ground and shot up into the air.

Now, I normally avoid air travel, being the son of Zeus' rival and all. I've rarely been on a plane in my life, and only in emergencies. But when I ride unusual things, like pegasi and Artemis' chariot, he seems to let it slide. Dragons qualify.

Laelaps howled in anger as we flew toward camp.


End file.
